San Francisco Giants Offseason Tracker: Hottest Free Agency News, Trade Rumors
The San Francisco Giants are World Series champions for the third time in five years, so the team's front office will focus on making moves this offseason that can help the team get back to the Fall Classic next year.
A couple of the acquisitions the team has added over the past year—Michael Morse and Jake Peavy—are set to become free agents. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval is also a free agent.
San Francisco has some decisions to make when it comes to its own free agents. With big seasons out of some of them, it certainly won't be cheap to re-sign everyone; finding a way to keep some of these free agents will be a big challenge for the organization.
Stay tuned throughout the offseason to see what is going on with the Giants.
All stats are via MLB.com
Done Deals
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Done Deals
Dec. 17: Re-signed RHP Sergio Romo to a two-year, $15 million deal
Dec. 19: Re-signed RHP Jake Peavy to a two-year, $24 million deal
San Francisco Free Agents
Nov. 25: 3B Pablo Sandoval signed five-year, $95 million deal, plus a $17 million team option ($5 million buyout) for 2020, with the Boston Red Sox
Dec. 16: 1B/LF Michael Morse signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Miami Marlins
Dec. 19: Acquired 3B Casey McGehee from the Marlins
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The San Francisco Giants are acquiring third baseman Casey McGehee from the Miami Marlins in exchange for right-handers Kendry Flores and Luis Castillo, according to the Sun Sentinel's Juan C. Rodriguez.
The Miami Marlins' flurry of moves this winter means that McGehee has become expendable. With a need at third base, the Giants are interested.
San Francisco lost out on Pablo Sandoval and Chase Headley this winter, so it was forced to go with a low-profile replacement.
After McGehee didn't play in the MLB in 2013, the Marlins took a chance on McGehee in 2014 and were rewarded.
The 32-year-old hit .287 with four home runs and 29 doubles in 2014. He used to be a player who could give a team 15-20 home runs, but with a new approach, he concentrated more on getting hits rather than dingers.
With his new approach, he should be able to succeed at AT&T Park. He isn't going to provide the type of power that Kung Fu Panda brought to the plate, but he still has the ability to get hits and keep the line moving.
McGehee is set to be a free agent after next season. The Marlins didn't have room for McGehee after acquiring several players, so the Giants swooped in and got a replacement for Sandoval.
Dec. 19: Re-Signed Jake Peavy to 2-Year Deal
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The San Francisco Giants have re-signed Jake Peavy to a two-year, $24 million deal, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the deal.
It was an up-and-down season for Peavy, but the Giants were fortunate to mostly get the good Peavy—at least in the regular season.
The 33-year-old started the season 1-9 with a 4.72 ERA in 20 starts with the Boston Red Sox. After being traded to the Giants in the middle of the season, he went 6-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 12 starts down the stretch.
The 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner has a 3.53 ERA in the regular season in his 13-year career. He does a good job of eating innings for teams and can fit in in the middle of most rotations.
San Francisco was apparently impressed enough by what it saw out of the veteran and decided to re-sign him to solidify the rotation. Peavy's relationship with manager Bruce Bochy likely helped the team retain the pitcher, and now, it has one less area that it needs to address the rest of the offseason.
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Dec. 17: Re-Signed RHP Sergio Romo to 2-Year Deal
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The San Francisco Giants have re-signed right-hander Sergio Romo to a two-year, $15 million deal, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Romo went 6-4 with 23 saves in 64 appearances this year. This was only the second season in which he posted an earned run average above 2.54. Since 2011, his earned run average has steadily risen, and it reached 3.72 this year.
The veteran pitcher didn't let that "rough" season carry over into the playoffs. He allowed only one run in his nine outings this postseason.
The 31-year-old has spent his entire career with the Giants. He has been part of the bullpen since 2008 and has pitched extremely well through the years.
Dec. 16: Michael Morse Signs 2-Year Deal with Marlins
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The Miami Marlins have reached an agreement for a two-year deal with Michael Morse, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. Per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Morse will get $16 million in the two-year deal.
Morse hit .279 with 16 home runs and 32 doubles with the Giants in 2014.
An oblique injury forced him to miss some time and take on a bench role in the postseason, but there's no doubt the Giants got their money's worth. However, they didn't want to pay the kind of money that he was going to get on the open market.
Will Giants Make a Run at Max Scherzer?
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Update: Thursday, Dec. 11 at 12:40 a.m. ET
Even the Giants lost out on Jon Lester, don't expect the Giants to make a run at Scherzer. The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea tweeted that the club has no plans to pursue the right-hander.
--End of Update--
San Francisco may be looking to make a big splash after losing out on Pablo Sandoval. The Giants are interested in Max Scherzer, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
Scherzer is one of the top arms on the market. The 30-year-old won the 2013 American League Cy Young award and followed that up by going 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 220.1 innings in 2014.
The right-hander has dominant stuff, as his rate of10.3 strikeouts per nine shows.
Scherzer has won at least 15 games in four straight seasons. His earned run average and WHIP are pretty steady during that span, so consistency hasn't been an issue.
As one of the top players available, Scherzer is likely going to command a big contract.
James Shields: Potential Free Agent Target
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The Giants are expected to "go hard" at free-agent starting pitcher James Shields, according to Peter Gammons.
Shields went 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 starts with the Kansas City Royals this year. The right-hander has a 114-90 record and a 3.72 ERA in his nine-year career.
Of course, San Francisco got a close look at "Big Game James" in the 2014 World Series. Unfortunately for him, he failed to live up to that nickname. He went 0-2 in two starts in the Fall Classic, allowing seven runs on 15 hits in nine innings.
The old saying is, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." That may be a legitimate option for Shields.
Dillon Gee: Potential Trade Target
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San Francisco has checked in on New York Mets right-hander Dillon Gee, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.
The 28-year-old went 7-8 with a 4.00 ERA in 22 starts this year. That comes one season after he posted a 3.62 ERA in 32 starts.
Gee made $3.6 million in 2014 and will get a modest raise now that he is eligible for arbitration for a second time.
Justin Upton: Potential Trade Target
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Update: Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 10:15 p.m. ET
The Giants have had trade talks involving Justin Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson, according to USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale. The Giants are interested in Upton, but the Braves would like to throw in Johnson and the money remaining on his contract.
Johnson will make $6 million in 2015 and is owed a minimum of $23.5 million throughout the remainder of his contract. His contract includes a $10 million team option or $1 million buyout for the 2018 season.
A year after hitting .321 with 34 doubles, Johnson hit .263 with 10 home runs and 27 doubles. He has a career .283 average.
--End of Update--
The Giants are interested in Atlanta Braves outfielder Justin Upton, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
Atlanta has reportedly been shopping the veteran outfielder as it attempts to build for the future. If the Braves get the right offer, he could be on the move this offseason.
Upton hit .270 with 29 home runs, 34 doubles and 102 RBI in 2014. He has averaged 23 home runs per season since the start of the 2008 season, which was the first year in which he played in more than 100 games.
The 27-year-old is one of the best slugging outfielders in the league. He won't come cheap, but his bat could certainly help the Giants' lineup.
Ervin Santana: Free Agent Target
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The Giants have checked in on some of the biggest names on the market, and now they are looking into a more affordable option.
Fox Sports' Jon Morosi reported that San Francisco is interested in Ervin Santana.
The right-hander went 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA this past season. He was 13-7 with a 3.53 ERA through August but faltered when the team needed him most. He lost three of his final four starts and recorded only one quality start in his final five outings.
Atlanta extend a qualifying offer to Santana, so any team that signs him (besides the Braves) would have to give up a draft pick. He's not as expensive as Max Scherzer or Jon Lester, but he's also not as consistent.
Nov. 24: Pablo Sandoval Signs 5-Year Deal with Boston Red Sox
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Pablo Sandoval has played his last game in a San Francisco Giants uniform.
Sandoval signed a five-year, $95 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reported that the Red Sox hold a $17 million option, with a $5 million buyout, for the 2020 season. The San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman reported that the Giants offered Sandoval a five-year, $95 million deal and were willing to go up to $100 million.
There was some back-and-forth, but in the end, Pablo Sandoval's agent told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the third baseman was signing with the Red Sox, who also signed free agent Hanley Ramirez.
San Francisco signed Sandoval in 2003, and he had been a big part of the team's offense since 2008. He had a career .294 average and 106 home runs in seven seasons with the Giants.
Over the past three years, he has been around the .280 mark and has averaged 14 home runs. His 16 home runs this season were the most he had hit since 2011.
In the postseason, he once against stepped up and helped lead his team to a championship. He set an MLB record this year by recording 26 hits in a single postseason. He hit .366 and has a .344 career average in 39 postseason games.
In what was a good sign for San Francisco, Sandoval's agent Gustavo Vazquez, per Heyman, said that his client would like to say. However, Boston's deal was apparently just too good to pass up.
Now that Sandoval is gone, the Giants will have to address third base.
Ryan Vogelsong: Free Agent
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It is more than likely that Ryan Vogelsong has thrown his last pitch in a San Francisco Giants uniform.
The right-hander was able to get his career on track with the team in 2011 and has been a stable presence in the Giants rotation ever since. The 37-year-old is getting up there in age and has had a couple of disappointing seasons in a row.
After posting a 5.73 ERA in 19 starts in 2013, Vogelsong was able to get a one-year contract from San Francisco. He followed up that poor season by going 8-13 with a 4.00 ERA in 32 starts this year.
Now, it appears as though the team will move on. Cafardo wrote that the Giants are unlikely to re-sign Vogelsong this winter.
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